Electric lighting set



July 25, li944. R. ANZ

ELECTRIC LIGHTING SET Filed NOV. 17, 1941 Affari: .ejs

Patented July 2s, 1944 uNi'rlt-Dl STATES "PATENT November 17, 1941, Serial No. `419,491` y 2 Claims. (Cl. 173-334) i Application electric lighting set that includes separable companion units, each having lamp conductorswhich preferably extend radially from a connector or tap block, the conductors of the respective units being of varying length, so that the units can be assembled in a set having a gradually decreasing width or diameter from the lowermost to the uppermost set, for the lamps to follow the general conical configuration of the tree, it

being obvious that trees generally used for Christmas 'display purposes are of tapered formation.

Another object is to provide a Christmas tree electric lighting set that includes a plurality'of separable companion units, each having a connector block in which provision is made for not only connecting the lamp conductors in parallel, but each block has cap plug carried conductors connected to contact members within the block, and said contact members have the lamp conductors connected thereto, as well as provide spring -contacts for the prongs of the plug of an adjacent unit.

A still further object is to provide a Christmas tree electric lighting unit of 'the character set forth, that is'simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and extremely eflicient in use and service.

, This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be here- 4 inafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and speciiicaily pointed out in the appended claims. 1

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of a set assembled from four of my units.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a connector block provided with a clamp for securing the same to the trunk of a tree.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken through the block, with construction mounted therein.

a cap plug of the usual 55 i' aiziiv if agiata rie verite fazit o3 emphasis esatti Figure 4 is a sectional view taire mately on line 4 4 of Figure 3, l icing@ direction of the arrows. ,m .y

Figure 5 is a perspective view ofrone of contact members o r strips of the connecte with the lamp and cap plug conductorscon ect. ed thereto. ma

Figure 6 is a perspective view.y ustratingja; clampingA ring in use for securing, mpcondugw tors to a lamp of the tree. M n

Figure 'l is a view illustrating a=coiled resilient@x type sheathing that vmay be usedV onthe cond tors for the cap plugs. l

Referring to the drawing in detaiLdtewlg 5J noted that each unit includes a connectororytapg@ block having a hollow body of rectanguidare,formav mation in the form shown, and the body iwsfliriuagil up of a pair of identical separable -halfr sections ,4 formed yfrom any suitable insulating :nat 1 The sections are secured together bybo that said side wall portions are recessedgtofpw shown, and the portions of the sectlonsftliat c vide the bottom wall are likewise 'recessedg-t .provide a conductor passageopening l, while each of the portions that provide the top wall have a slot 5 therein, and the slots extend along the longitudinal center of the portions and upon opposite sides of inwardly extending projec- I tions 5. 'Y

The front and rear walls are of greater thicicg ness than that of the side walls, as will be noted from Figure 4, and arranged along the height of the inner faces of the front and rear walls are grooves 6 that have mounted therein spring con- -ductor and contact strips 1 which have the lower ends seated within the bottom wall, as shown in Figure 3, and the upper end portions oi' the strips 1 are looped inwardly and downwardly to provide flexible contact arms 8 arranged to underlie the slots 5, and to normally engage the projections 5', for disposal in the path oi the prongs 9 of a cap plug I0 of the usual construction, so that the prongs 9 contact the arms 8 5 for connecting companion units together, as will be apparent.

Each of the units likewise include six lamp sockets Il in the form shown, and a pair of conductors I2 is. provided for each socket. One conductor of each socket is connected to one mit daalt -Mii vide conductor passage openings 3, therelbelngm three openings in each side wall, in thetfgrng;

strip 1 while the other conductor is connected to the other strip, as best shown in Figure 4, and these conductors are soldered or otherwise electrically fixed to the strips, as indicated in Figure 5. -By that construction. it will be obvious that the sockets are connected in parallel. so that in the event any one of the lamp bulbs I3 should become burned out, auch will not effect the remaining bulbs in the unit.

The cap plug of each unit has one of the ends oi' a. pair of conductors i4 connected thereto in the'usual manner. and one of the conductors il has its opposite end connected to one contact member or strip 1, while the other conductorA i4 has its opposite'end connected to the other strip,

the conductors i4 being likewise soldered or otherwise electrically fixed to the strips. While the conductors Il have the usual fabric sheathing i5 thereon, they may have coiled resilient sheathing il thereon. as shown in Figure 7, so that the cap plug will be held in proximity to the connector Iblock when the unit is not in use.

' That feature facilitates packing4 the units in boxes or the like for storage or sale purposes.

While a set may consist oi'- any number of units, it depending upon the height of the tree,

it will be noted from Figure 1 that I have illusterially enhance the beauty of the display.

' In order to secure the connector blocks to the trunk of the tree, I provide clamping members which include attaching ears Il that are fixed to plying the same to the trunk.

I also provide split spring rings I9 for disposal` about the limbs of the tree, as well as the conductors I2 for securing the latter to the limbs, as clearly shown in Figure 6.

It is thought from the foregoing description .'10 elonga that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes tall within the scope of the appended cl What I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, an

|- elongated hollow body having slots in one end adapted to receive the prongs oi' a plug connector and a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings in the side walls for the passage of wires, the bottom of the hollow body having a wire l receiving opening, the front and rear of the said hollow body having a groove extending the full length of the body interiorly thereof, a pair of connection members mounted within the hollow body, each of the said members including a straight relatively long body strip fitted within and extending the full length of each longitudinal groove in the body and having one end portion bent U-shaped to provide a relatively short parallel contact arm disposed to project inwardly of the body and protrude from the groove to wires electrically connected to the body strip in longitudinally spaced relation.

2. In a device of the character described, an ted hollow body having slots in one end adapted to receive the 'prongs o1' a plug connector and a plurality oi' longitudinally spaced openings in the side walls for the passage of wires, the bottom of the hollow body having a v wire r' 'teiving opening, the front and rear of the said hollow body having a groove extending the full length of the body interiorly thereof, a pair of connection members mounted within the hollow body, each of the said members including 40 a straight relatively long body strip iltted within and extending the full length of each longitudinal groove in the body and having one end portion bent U-shaped to provide a relatively short parallel contact arm disposed to project inwardly of the body and protrude from the groove to contact the plug prongs, the straight ends oi' the said body strips projecting into and tightly seated in the bottom wall of the hollow body, a pair of terminal wires passing through the bottom opening of the hollow body and connecting with the lower ends of the respective body strips, and a series of pairs of wires extending through the openings in the side walls of the hollow body and electrically connected with the body. strip at longitudinally spaced intervals. CLARENCE R. JANZ. 

